


Fire and Stars - Mo's Perspective

by ScribbleTheCalico



Series: Jeanette's Old Inkheart Fic [2]
Category: Tintenwelt-Trilogie | Inkheart Trilogy - Cornelia Funke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2015-09-16
Packaged: 2018-04-21 00:33:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4808084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleTheCalico/pseuds/ScribbleTheCalico
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The scene where Capricorn's men find Mo in Elinor's house, told from Mo's perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire and Stars - Mo's Perspective

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic of mine that I found handwritten in a binder. I was probably around 14 or 15 when I wrote it. I'm not sure what prompted me to rewrite this chapter from Mo's perspective rather than Meggie's eavesdropping from next door, but I present it without comment.

Mo leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. The clock on the wall read 11:15 PM. Time to stop for today.

Mo yawned. He wanted to sink into the bed in Elinor's room, but he wouldn't do that before checking on Meggie outside. With another yawn, Mo dragged himself over to the window. On the lawn, Dustinger was playing with the flames as they swirled around him. Meggie sat on the bench, enchanted.

As he watched, Mo felt himself smile. Dustfinger certainly knew his trade, as well as Mo knew his. He was about to turn and retire to his bed when Meggie suddenly turned her head. Lights were sweeping across the trees.

Alarmed, Mo darted to the other window. A car was pulling up Elinor's driveway, and men were getting out before the vehicle even braked. Men dressed in black. They ran towards the house.

Capricorn's men.

The book. They mustn't find it.

Tiredness forgotten, Mo ran into the library. The shelves were all in perfect order. They weren't here yet. Maybe the front door was locked and they couldn't get in. That would leave them outside, with...

Mo spun around so quickly that he almost fell. He had to get to Meggie! Too late, he saw Capricorn's men at the library door. Each had a gun pointed at him. Mo stood there, frozen.

Suddenly, there was a knife pressed against his throat and he felt himself pulled back against another man. "Surprise, Silvertongue," a voice purred into his ear.

"Basta!" Mo breathed, desperately trying to hide his terror. He wasn't having much success.

Basta was obviously enjoying Mo's fear. "Miss me?" he asked, holding the blade firmly in place. "It has been nine years, after all." Then he ordered the other men, "Go on! Look for it!" The Black Jackets separated and began to search the bookshelves.  _How can they find the right book,_ Mo wondered,  _if they can't read?_ But of course he didn't say that with Basta's knife so close.

"How do we know it's even here?" The man who asked had a squashed face, and his voice sounded as if he were pinching his nose.

"Of course it's here!" Basta snapped at him. For a second, his grip on Mo loosened, but just as Mo was about to pull free, the knife was back. "Where is it, Silvertongue?" When Mo did not respond, Basta continued, "Should we get your little daughter from the garden to show us just where?" Mo's heart missed a beat. "Or would you rather find it for us yourself?"

Meggie. She didn't know where it was. She could be killed.

"My daughter! What do you know about my daughter?" he asked Basta, fear choking his voice.

"Oh, we know all we need to know," Basta told him, savoring the other man's terror. "So where's the book?"

Mo blinked. If he didn't hand over  _Inkheart_ , Meggie could be hurt, or killed, even. He had to protect her.

But he also needed Resa back.

Making up his mind, Mo answered, "I'll give it to you!" Basta snorted, as if in disbelief, and Mo continued, "But I'm going with you, because I want that book back as soon as Capricorn has finished with it."  _Then I'll be back for Meggie._

"All the better. We were told to bring you anyway." The man speaking had a red goatee, and his leg twisted in an odd way. "You have no idea how Capricorn longs to hear your voice. He's got great faith in your abilities, Capricorn has."

"That's right--the replacement Capricorn found for you makes a terrible hash of it. Look at Cockerell there." Basta's knife left Mo's throat for a split second to gesture at the man with the goatee. "He's limping, and Flatnose's face has seen better days. Not that he was ever much of a beauty."

The flat-faced man--Flatnose--glared. "Don't just stand there talking, Basta, we haven't got forever. How about it--do we take the kid as well?"

"No!" Mo snapped at Flatnose, momentarily forgetting Basta, though the knife quickly reminded him. "My daughter stays here or I won't give you the book!"

Basta laughed. "Oh, yes, Silvertongue, you'd give it to us, alright, but don't worry. We weren't told to bring her. A child would just slow us down, and Capricorn's been waiting for you long enough." Quite suddenly, Mo was released, though there were enough guns pointed at him for him to know not to try anything. "So where's that book?"

Mo gave a quiet sigh, then walked slowly and unsteadily over to the bookshelf on the right. He pulled out a few books and set them gently on the floor. The hinged flap was well-hidden in the back of the bookshelf, and he had to feel around for a bit before he himself found it.

"Not a bad hiding place!" Basta said as Mo pulled open the flap. Mo jumped. He hadn't noticed Basta come up beside him. The man pushed him roughly aside, grabbed the book, and handed it to Cockerell. "Wrap it up, and take good care of it." Basta gestured to the open door. "After you, Silvertongue. Let's go."

Flatnose prodded Mo in the back with his gun, and he stumbled forward. All the way to their car, Flatnose kept the gun at Mo's back. Regret began to fill him as he clambered into the backseat of the car, between Basta and Flatnose. Maybe this wasn't the right decision. What about Meggie...?

No. This was for her. Whatever happened to Mo, Meggie must be safe.


End file.
